totallylegal

In-House Legal Salary Index 2012 [Dubai]

Salary survey amongst GCC in-house lawyers supports growing optimism in region’s recovery 

A survey published today by Elizabeth Williams Search, one of the region’s most respected legal search firms, paints an upbeat picture for the region’s in-house legal profession. With Europe in financial crisis and tremors in the global financial markets showing few signs of abating, the survey results are encouraging not only for the legal profession, but also for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Described as “an indispensable tool for the in-house legal community” by Elias Hayek, Chairman and President of Corporate Counsel Middle East Group, the survey of 361 in-house lawyers from across the GCC focuses not just on pay but also on topics such as redundancies, recruitment, and how optimistic lawyers are feeling about the year ahead.  

A new.era for top-level domain names

By Chris Hoole 

Chris is a trainee solicitor at Walker Morris in Leeds.Before joining Walker Morris Chris studied English Law and European Law at University where he focused on cyberlaw and cybercrime as part of his dissertation. Since University, Chris has worked both in Dubai and Hong Kong.

Anyone with £120,000 to spare can now submit their application for a new top-level domain name (TLD), known as a generic top-level domain (gTLD) to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This generalisation of domain names will inevitably bring with it, not only a new .era for corporations and organisations - testing consumer confidence and scepticism - but, importantly, a new realm of legal issues including trade mark infringement, cybersquatting, brand protection, fraud and enforcement - all on a global scale. 

Join NetLaw Media at their Partners Club Networking Event

The Partner’s Club is the UK’s leading networking Group for legal professionals open to CEOs and Partners. In addition, membership is also open to QCs, Heads of Chambers, Chambers Directors, Barristers, Corporate Presidents & Vice Presidents, Corporate Counsels and Directors of Legal Affairs & Legal Departments within Corporates & Governments. Amongst this year’s VIPs is NetLaw Media’s Guest of Honour, HH Prince Mohsin Ali Khan of Hyderabad who will be addressing the audience at 7.00pm.

Entertainment for the Evening will include: 

• Partners Club Grand Prix: Partners Club will be conducting a ’Grand Prix’ competition on a state-of-the-art 6 lane ‘Scalextric Track’ from 19:30. All members are encouraged to join in the fun with a range of great prizes offered for the 1^st / 2^nd / 3^rd place winners of the evenings ‘Knock Out’ competition and the fastest lap in the Club Grand Prix. 

• Whisky Tasting: All members are invited to taste a range of gaelic and peat delights at the ‘Whisky Tasting’ stand which is being operated by Currency Solutions.

There will also be prizes such as a rough cut diamond, an iPad2, Amazon Kindle, Gift Hamper and more to be won. During the early part of the evening, Partners Club members will offered the chance to enter the prize draws below (prizes will be drawn at 20:00 on the evening). 

• Diamond in the Rough: Upon arrival, all members will be presented with a glass of champagne and gift bag which contains a Cubic Zirconia. However, one lucky member will be holding a real diamond which will be verified at the ‘Cogence Search’ stand by the Hatton Garden diamond trader ‘Diamond Factory Ltd’. All members will be invited to take part in the ‘Diamond in the Rough’ promotion which is kindly being organised by the club’s Event Partner ‘Cogence Search’.

• iPad 2 and an Amazon Kindle: All members on the evening will be invited to enter the draw to win ether an iPad 2 or an Amazon Kindle, kindly donated by ‘Wesleyan for Lawyers’.

• Gift Hamper and a Case of Wine: On the evening, enter the draw to win a Gift Hamper or a Case of Wine, kindly donated by ‘Thames Water Property Searches’.

• CXinLaw – Customer Experience Revolution White Paper for the Legal Sector: All members on the evening will be eligible to receive the new 90 page ‘CXinLaw – Customer Experience Revolution – Bringing Secret Shopping Insights to the Legal Sector’ – Market Value £250 + vat. In addition, CXinLaw will be offering all Partners Club members the opportunity to arrange a free ‘Multi-Point Service Check and Assessment’ for their firm, chambers or corporate team.

• 15% Discount on Litigation Support Services: Legastat Ltd is also offering all Partners Club members a 15% saving against standard pricing for their litigation support services. This makes the cost of utilising some of the most powerful and feature-packed document processing & review solutions even better. For more information, please contact Casian Sala at Legastat Ltd on 020 7242 9581 or email him at: casian.sala@legastat.co.uk.

 

The evening will begin at 18:00 and will run until 21:45. If you have not registered to attend, or have others within your firm, chambers or corporate department who would like to join us on the evening, please register as soon as possible as we will reach full capacity before the event. Below is a reminder of the event details:

 

Date: 2^nd February 2011

Venue: Haberdashers’ Hall, West Smithfield, London, EC1A 9HQ

Time: 18:00 – 21:45

Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane / Farringdon / Barbican

Master of Ceremonies: Fay Gillott – CEO, 7 Bedford Row

Key Address: HH Prince Mohsin Ali Khan of Hyderabad

Click here to register for this event  

 

This event is sponsored by Cogence Search, Currency Solutions, Thames Water Property Searches and Myddleton Communications, Ogier, Wesleyan for Lawyers,  Lloyds TSB Commercial, Totally Legal, Conscious Solutions, Legastat, Brand Remedy and our Club Partner LawWorks

 

Images © Netlaw Media

Advice for Candidates and Clients from Michael Page Legal

By Kate Tregoning, Managing Director, Michael Page Legal, Policy & Offshore

Kate is a specialist in recruitment services having worked in the industry for more than 20 years covering legal, accounting, finance and secretarial disciplines. In her current role, Kate is responsible for recruiting partners into US and UK law firms, as well as running the Legal, Policy and Offshore businesses for Michael Page International.

Advice for candidates

The legal jobs market is similar to others in that a number of candidates are cautious about changing jobs at the expense of job security. But we are seeing quality legal professionals enter the market, driven by a personal ambition to achieve career progression or invaluable experience at a global firm.

Laurence Simons Legal Market Survey

As a recognised leader in the legal recruitment market for over 20 years, Laurence Simons has built up one of the most comprehensive networks of clients and candidates in the legal world. Towards the end of 2011 we used this network to carry out an extensive research project into the salaries and benefits received by lawyers in key markets around the globe.

We received an overwhelming response from over 1,200 legal professionals and, together with our global database of lawyers, the material gathered provides the basis of this report, which we hope will be a valuable resource, whether you are looking for a new role or are looking to strengthen your team. 

Insight into the legal jobs market

By Kate Tregoning,  

Managing Director, Michael Page Legal, Policy & Offshore

Kate is a specialist in recruitment services having worked in the industry for more than 20 years covering legal, accounting, finance and secretarial disciplines. In her current role, Kate is responsible for recruiting partners into US and UK law firms, as well as running the Legal, Policy and Offshore businesses for Michael Page International. Managing Director, Michael Page Legal, Policy & Offshore 

While incremental hiring will be thin on the ground for many organisations, there is staff turnover in some sectors of the legal market which will drive some consistent recruitment activity in the Canary Wharf area.

Overview of the legal jobs market can be divided into the following three key areas:

Private practice

The buoyancy of the legal recruitment market for private practice roles continues to be dependant on sector. We are noticing a consistent demand for quality candidates in areas such as intellectual property, information technology, pension funds, asset finance, capital markets and international projects. Demand for real estate, on the other hand, remains stagnant. 

Canary Wharf is a business hub for many large firms offering specialists roles in areas experiencing buoyancy so recruitment prospects are optimistic. Another trend we are seeing is that many firms in the area have the fiscal capacity to grow into larger offices giving them advantage over their smaller competitors. 

Financial services

Asset managers and insurance companies are offsetting much of the downturn by implementing long-term strategies to recruit the highest quality candidates for the future. The impact on Canary Wharf is that recruitment into the larger banks has slowed in the second half of 2011 and much of the recruitment into asset management firms is taking place in Mayfair and the City.

Industry and commerce

In challenging times the industry and commerce market has proven itself to be the most resilient and stable. In 2009, many companies in this area took a long-term view of market, avoiding boom and bust strategies to recruitment and supporting staff retention in their legal divisions. As a result we are likely to see recruitment demand based on natural attrition. When these roles become available, the most attractive candidates will be those with direct sector experience and/or strong commercial intellectual property, and information technology experience. 

Unlike the other sectors, industry and commerce does not have a central industry hub with many of its large businesses establishing themselves outside London, particularly towards the North and West. However, Canary Wharf is home to a number of large businesses who have teams present in the area including energy and commodity markets so we should see some movement in this sector.

Cross-selling strategies for Private Client Lawyers

By  Douglas McPherson, 

Douglas is Director at Size 10 ½ Boots, a business development agency that works solely with professional service firms.Tenandahalf help their clients grow by winning more new clients and by generating higher fees from their existing clients. Due to their innovative methods, the marketing of private client services is now an area in which Tenandahalf lead the market.

Unlike targeting commercial clients, picking out individuals who need particular legal services is a tough task.  Therefore the simplest way to start growing a private client practice is to increase the emphasis you place on cross-selling. 

One partner at a leading Suffolk firm described cross-selling to me as ‘not as much finding change down the back of the sofa as finding a £20 note in an old suit jacket”.  He is absolutely right but more often than not, the response from law firms tends to be “we know it’s something we need to do but it’s something we never get round to”.  However the client data you have holds all of those forgotten twenties and more … and it’s waiting to be used.